Improvement in printing-telegraph instruments



J. T. LINDSEY.

Printing Telegraph Instrument.

Patented May 3, 1870.

TAT E S ATEN'I' IMPROVEMENT IN PRINTING-TELEGRAPH INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 102,561, dated May 3,1870.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LANDY TUNSTALL LIND- MW, of J acksomin the county ofMadison and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Dialand Printin g-Telegra-ph Instrument; and 1 do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon.

Where the same letters or figures appear in the different drawings theyrepresent the same parts, whether such parts be there represented in avertical or horizontal position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical projection of theinstrument. Fig. 2 represents the plan, which is divested of such partsas are not necessary to show the manner and means by which theinstrument is controlled and operated. Fig. 3 is a metal plate, withlevers arranged in circular form thereon, each representing a letter orcharacter of the type-wheel. These constitute a part of the transmittingdevice, and the plate, when in its proper position, rests upon the postsH, Fig. 2, completely covering all that portion of the instrumentinclosed within the square formed by the position of these posts. Fig. 4is a section of the plan, removed therefrom to show more clearly theposition, shape, and manner of adjusting and working the ratchetwheel Rby means of the pawls P. Fig. 5 is another section of the plan, intendedto represent the design and connection for keeping a local circuitclosed beyond the time allowed by the vibration of the armature-lever ofa relay-magnet which had previously closed it.

The letters and figures of reference may be thus traced:

M is a relaymagnet, such as is used in the Morse system. i is thearmature thereof, fixed on a lever, and supported in adjustablepivotscrews in the ordinary way. i is an adj ustin gscrew, supported ina frame or post above themagnet, againstwhich the lever of the armaturei strikes when attracted by the influence of the magnet M. i is asimilar adjusting screw,

supported likewise, but entirely isolated from the former, and receivesthe stroke of the armature-lever when it is released by the magnet M anddrawn back by the spring f.

G G G G G G are binding-screws and;

stands, wherein are secured the wires leading from the main line andlocal batteries to the instrument. E is a metal plate, having a rim, N,thereon, in which is arranged in circular form a number of levers, equaland. corresponding to the letters, figures, and other characters of atype-wheel. H are the posts which support the plate E in its positionover the type-wheel.

F is a shaft, supported in suitable bearin gs, and passing centrallythrough the circle formed by the levers on the plate E. It containsthereon the type-wheel T and a ratchet-wheel, R, from which latter itreceives its motion, and also aright-anglearm, A. Thetwo first namedare-secured in a permanent manner upon the shaft, below the plate E, andthe latter fixed likewise above and overlapping theinner converging endsof the levers.

P represents two pawls extended from an arm, shaped from a solid pieceof metal, and working on a pin at 1. When a vibratorymotion iscommunicated to the arm of the pawls they will impart rotation to theshaft 15 by a1- ternately striking upon the teeth of the ratchetwheel Rthereon.

, I is an inking-roller, which supplies the typewheel with ink. Thisroller has a small cistern cut into it, into which a supply of ink canbe poured, and a series of perforations through to its circumference, toadmit the ink seeping through and saturating a woolen wrapper thereon,and sits in a movable frame.

0 is an electro-magnet included in the metallic circuit of a localbattery, the office of which is to attract the lever V to its poles whenthe circuit of which it forms a part is closed.

'V is a vertical lever in front of the poles of the magnet O, with anarmature properly placed thereon to face the poles of this magnet, bywhich means the lever can be attracted to it. When the magnet loses itsattractive power the lever is drawn back and so held by a spiral spring,c. This lever also has an impression-roller, W, fitting loosely thereonat its top and immediately in front of the typewheel. This roller ismade broad enough on its circumference to cover the breadth of thetype-wheel and a corrugated wheel, 0, just below the type-wheel. Whenmagnet O attracts lever V to its poles it brings therewith theimpression-roller W. This roller will then press an interposed strip ofpaper (represented by the curved line B, Fig. 2) to the surfaces of thetype and corrugated wheels, and the friction created by the contact ofthese wheels will, when the instrument is in motion, carry the paperforward so long as it lasts. As this lever and magnet bear the samerelation in all respects to the relay-magnet as the lever and magnet ofa sounder or repeater, they may be so used when desired, and the rollerW lifted off, if necessary.

L is a wheel fixed on the shaft F, the office of which is to interruptthe flow of the current through the coils of the magnet O, and therebydestroy the friction between the corrugated wheel and impression-rollerafter they have revolved together sufficiently to move the strip ofpaper interposed as far as desired. This is effected by filling thecircumference of this wheel with a number of metal projecting pins,equidistant the space it is desired the paper shall move. These willintercept the iiow of the current through the magnet at the properinstant for the purpose above designated, as will be below explained.

a a, Fig. 1, represent two wires, in spiral form, leading from thearmature-lever tand screw-point i of the relay-magnet M to andconnecting with a fixed platina point, 3, and movable metal plate dopposite to the printing-lever and below the type-wheel.

- The contact of the points z and t" in the relay-magnet, it has beenshown, closes the circuit of a local battery. included therein,immediately attracts the lever V to its poles, and this lever, inresponding thereto, carries forward the metal plate d onto the platinapoint 3, re-establishing at this place a repetition of the connectionformed at i and t". As the flow of the current through the coils of themagnet 0 will now be continued by this latter contact after the points tand 11 are disunited, the circuit would remain closed indefinitely ifmeans were not devised to interrupt its flow through the coils of themagnet momentarily, and thus break the circuit. For this purpose thebreak-wheel L, with the metal pins thereon, is employed, and itsoperation thus explained: Upon the metal plate cl is a small projection.(Shown at 2.) When this plate is carried forward upon the platina pointthis projection is likewise moved in between the pins on the wheel L.When this wheel has revolved the distance between pins one of the pinswill strike and lift the plate at above and off of the platina point 3,thereby breaking the circuit of the local battery there closed anddestroying the influence of the magnet. The springo will then withdrawthe lever V, and with it plate cl, beyond its connection with the point3. The lever V, on being withdrawn, will bring with it theimpression-roller W.

and the corrugated wheel which moved the paper.

The magnet 0, being This will destroy the. frictional contact existingbetween this roller 2 ure of the impression-roller 'W againstthetypewheel T when the leverVis attracted by magnet O. h are small posts,which support two plates which furnish the bearin gs for the shaft F. Sis the upper of these two plates. D is an ordinary metal switch-bar,movable to and on the button I, for opening and closing the circuit ofthe main line. This may be substituted by an ordinary key, having acircuitoloser attached thereto. D is a similar metal bar, movable backand forth on the buttons l l, and having a position of rest betweenthem. Its use is in conjunction with that of my electro-magnetic motor,and is to make its vibration unintermittin g or annul it, as desired. 1)is another such met-a1 bar, movable to and upon the button 1'. Itsoffice is to annulthe power of the magnet O, by breaking the circuit atthis point, if desired.

therein, and the arm of the pawls P secured movably thereon by the pin27. By the use of this plate, on which to place the arm of the pawls andof the slot therein, through which to pass a screw into a second platebeneath, the position and proper adjustment of the pawls can be obtainedwith perfect accuracy, and permanently secured by screwing down the headof the screw over the slot. m is a movable anvil, attached to the armAbymeans of asmall parallel bar, a, to which it is fastened in a mannersimilar to a hinge. The bar arm revolves with the shaft F, and carriesthe anvil m with it.

2, Fig. 1, represents a spiral wire connection, extending from the mainline, through the relay-magnet M, posts It, and frame S, to shaft F,having revolving anvil m thereon. For the easier adjustment of thewheels and arm A on the shaft F, they are secured thereon by the use ofsetscrews.

My invention consists, first, in an improved method of constructing the'transmitting or signal-key, such as used in the Morse and other likesystems, which employ arbitrary characters to represent the letters ofan alphabet. This key, as heretofore and at present constructed,consists of a single brass lever four or five inches long, suspendedupon an arbor in ametal framebetween adjustable set-screws, in such amanner as to allow it to move freely in a vertical direction, itsmovement in one direction being stopped by striking upon apermanently-located anvil, and in the other by means of an adjustableset-screw. One wire of the main line circuit is connected to themetallic frame of the key, and the other to the anvil, upon which itstrikes, the latter being insulated from the former.

My improvement consists in dispensing with such a frame as that abovealluded to, which contains but a single key, and replacing in its steada larger one, having a number of keys or levers therein, by which meansit may be i-made equally as applicable as a transmitter X is an adjusting-screw, to regulate the press-' K, Fig. 4,'is a small plate, having aslot, 6,

n is fixed permanently on the arm A. This for a printing as for a Morsetelegraph instrument.

To make it answer the purpose of a transmitter iv. a printing-telegraphinstrument, it will be necessary to have this frame large enough tocontain a separate lever for and representing each letter, figure, orother character on the typewheel of such an instrument. As the relativeposition of the anvil is the same to all of these keys as to one, thelevers being all connected together metallieally by means of the framein which they are supported, it is only necessary to connect one wire ofthe main-line circuit with this frame to bring it into metalliccommunication with all the levers. But as the size of the anvil is notchanged, and no larger than that required for a single key, it becomesnecessary to devise means whereby it can be brought around to make acontact with any lever with which it is desired to close the circuit.

The same connections of the main line are observed in this instance asrepresented above for an ordinary key-that is, one wire connects withthe frame, which contains all the levers therein, and the other connectswith the anvil, which must be in such a position as to be madeaccessible to any one of the levers with which it is desired to cause itto form a contact.

To accomplish this, it will be seen by reference to Fig. 3 that Iarrange the lovers in their frame in circular order. I then pass throughthe center of the circle formed by them, and at a right angle thereto, ashaft, F, best shown in Fig. 1, upon which I place a type-wheel, T, andan anvil, m, the former below and the latter above the levers.

The anvil is supported upon a metal arm, A, projecting at a right anglefrom this shaft, overlapping and lying parallel with the innerconverging ends of these levers. This shaft is supported in suitablebearings, so that it can be revolved by the communication of any powerfor this purpose, other arrangements and conditions necessary to enableit to receive a rotary motion therefrom having been complied with.Therefore, any means employed to impart revolution to the shaft F willmove, also, the right-angle metal projection A thereon, which supportsthe anvil m, and this anvil, by being secured in a position just overthe inner converging ends of the levers, will revolve above and describesuch a circle as is formed by them. During each revolution it will passdirectly across the inner ends of all these levers, and a contact may bemade between it and any one of them by depressing the lever so desiredand holding it so until t e revolution of the shaft brings the anvilaround and against it.

The anvil m may be supported in its position on the arm A by means of ahinge-fastenin g, connecting it with a fixed parallel bar, a, so thatwhen it is intercepted by coming in contact with the point of a leverdepressed for hat purpose, it will yield sufticiently to avoid frictionand mount upon, as it glides across, the point of the lever, a slight.spring above serving to hold the anvil down to its position on the armA. This is necessary where the motion of the instrument isunintermitting, and it is desired to prevent this contact impeding themotion of the arm A. It has an additional advantage also, as the anvilcanbe removed, when necessary, to clean the platina surface thereon.

The type-wheel must always be fixed on the same shaft that has the anvilthereon, and the levers of the transmitting device be arranged incircular form around this shaft. The levers, anvil, and type-wheel mustthen be so adjusted with reference to each other that when any lever andthe anvil come in contact, that letter on the type-wheel whichcorresponds to the one represented by such lever must be at the sameinstant immediately before the impression-roller. This roller W, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, fits loosely upon the lever V, opposite to thetype-wheel. This lever has an armature thereon, controlled by a localcircuit-magnet, 0.

Thus it will be seen that thecomponent parts of the Morse instrument areretained, while the form in which I construct the transmitting apparatusgives it the additional advantage of being applicable as a transmitterfor a printin g telegraph instrument, also, for either of which it canbe used at pleasure, and the manner in. which I employ the lover of thesounder makes it equally as available as a printing-power to produce theimpression of a letter as a sounder to produce signals. I claim,therefore, to have utilized the electrical connections of the Morsesystem by certain changes in, and additions to, its mechanical form,whereby it can be made a combined Morse and printing-telegra ilh tiansmitter and receptor, and equally applicable for either.

These changes consist, first, in dispensing with the single lever orkey, properly supported in a metal frame and striking upon a stationaryanvil insulated therefrom, and substituting instead a frame sufiicientlylarge to hold therein a number of levers or keys equal to that of, andrepresenting, the letters, figures, and other characters upon thetypewheel of the instrument to which they belong second, by thearrangementof these levers in circular form, so that by placing an anvilon the revolving arm of a shaft so that it will lie just above andparallel to them, it may, by the revolution of this shaft, be madeaccessible to any one of them, as it passes over in completing eachrevolution; third, in fitting a suitable roller loosely upon the leverof an instrument similar to a sounder, so that it will be opposite tethetype-wheel, and can be made to press a strip of paper interposed thewhenever actuated by a magnet properly placed to so control it.

Whenever the revolving anvil is in a position of rest over any one ofthe alphabeticallevers,that lever and the anvil, taken together,

represent exactly the single key and stationary anvil of the Morsesystem; and by removing the im pression-roller from the lever whichsupports it, this lever will represent the sounder of that system also.The connection with the relay-magnet and its mechanical operation andeii'ects remain the same for either system.

To convert the instrument at-once into a printing-telegraph, replace theimpressionroller upon the-lever, and, after having given arotary motionto the shaft which contains the type-wheel and revolving anvil thereon,depress in regular succession those levers which represent the lettersof a word it is desired to print. Each time the revolving arm reachesand makes contact with a lever, it will close the circuit of the mainline, and the lever which has the impression-roller thereon, obeying theimpulse communicated to the magnet which controls it, through the actionof the relay-magnet, will move this roller forward and against thetype-wheel, pressing an interposed strip of paper thereto, andimprinting such a letter thereon as is represented by the alphabeticallever above which has made contact with the anvil.

It now remains to describe how the revolving anvil, type-wheel, andalphabetical levers can be so adjusted with reference to each other asto insure a correct production of the same letter on the paper as thatrepresented by that lever which makes contact with the revolving arm. Byrepresenting the letters and other characters on the levers in the sameorder in whichthey occur on the type-wheel, and revolving the shafthaving the anvil thereon so as to bring any particular letter on thetypewheel below to a position immediately in front of theimpression-roller, and then fitting the arm above which supports theanvil so that it will be immediately over that lever which has acorresponding letter represented thereon, the adjustment will becomplete for them all. The illustration furnished by the drawin g willmore clearly explain this.

By reference to Fig. 3 itwill be seen that the anvil in on the arm Aislyingimmediately over that lever which represents E. Upon referring tothe letters indicated on the typewheel in Fi 1 it will be seen that Ethereon is alsojust in front of the impression-roller W. If this leverbe now depressed so as to close the circuit of the main line by itscontact with the anvil, the impression-roller will be immediately thrownforward, and will press the strip of paper to the type-wheel and imprintthe letter E thereon. This is the only adjustment necessary for theinstrument.

By moving the shaft so as to bring the let. ter F on thetype-wheelhefore the impression- 11611, the anvih'bein g fixed on andrevolving with this shaft above, will advance the same distance and stopimmediately over the lever marked F, by depressing which and formingcontact with the anvil, the letter F will also be imprinted in themanner as above shown,

and so on throughout. As each letter on the ty[')e-wheel is advanced toa position immediately in front of the impression -roller, the anvilabove advances correspondingly, and assumes a position immediately overthe lever so marked above.

While the revolving anvil performs the same office in all respects ateach contact with a lever of the transmitting device-that ofrepresenting one wire of and assisting to close a main-line circuit-asit does when stationary in conjunction with a single key, it also corre-In my invention it is only necessary to as certain the width between theletters on the type-wheel and observe a corresponding width between eachlever contained in the circle they form. Then by a single adjustment ofthe revolvin g anvil, made as hcreinbefore explained, the transmittingdevice is complete; This anvil, which supplies the place of the cylinderabove spoken of, can be made of apiece of metal, with a platina surfacethereon, not necessarily weighing over two ounces. The adjustmentthereof can be easily, readily, and accurately made, and, the positionit occupieson the shaft being above the levers over which it passesduring each revolution, its working will be always visible, and, whenrequired, it can be removed without .disturbin g any other portion ofthe instrument.

Another important advantage I claim, arising from the position in whichI place the levcrs of the transmitting device, is my ability to convertthe instrument into a dial as well as a printing or Morse telegraph. Thetwo latter have been already explained; the former I will now explain.

The circular form in which I arrange the alphabetical levers whichconstitute that portion of the transmitting device as shown in Fig. 3renders the instrument favorable to this latter consumn iation. Byemploying a ratchet or other equally suitable motion to communicaterevolution to the shaft which has the type-Wheel and revolving anvilthereon, and by extending the length of the arm A, which supports thisanvil, so as to terminate it in the shape of a pointer or index, similarto the hand of a clock, a step-by-step motion can be imparted to theshaft by such means, and the arm point to each letter represented on thedifferent levers as it advances to a po sition over them. The motion soemployed would carry the ty 'ic-whcel and arm forward one letter at eachstroke of the pawls on th teeth of the ratchet-wheel. Suitableprovisionwill have to be made in this case for momentarily arresting the motionat any lever the letter on which it is desired to indicate, that it maypause long enough over such lever to so indicate it. This I claim alsoto have ac complished by the use of a ratchet-motion in conjunction withmy electro-magnetic motor already patented, and in the manner I shallhereinafter describe.

The novelty of this invention cannot bepresented more comprehensivelythan by claiming my ability. to adapt it as a Morse printing or dialtelegraph, possessing in one, as has been above explained, all theessential requisites necessary for each, and so constructed that thesequalities are combined without requiring any readjustment or change inthe instrument, either system above referred to being readily availableat the option of the manipulator.

The connections necessary to connect the instrument with the main linecorrespond with those made use of for this purpose in the Morse system,their originality forming no part of my claim. One end of the main-linewire passes through the relay-magnet M to and connects with the frame N,which contains the alphabetical levers therein. The other end of thiswire proceeds to and connects with the revolving anvil m through theshaft F. Therefore, when the revolving anvil and any one of the leversof the transmitting device unite, their contact closes the circuit ofthe main line. The local circuit, having the magnet O therein, whichcontrols the movement of the printing-lever V and impressioirrollerthereon, is simultaneously closed by the action of the relay ormain-line magnet, and the letter thus imprinted.

I have introduced a switch-bar, D, and button 1', Fig. 2, into themetallic circuit of the local battery of the magnet 0, by which means Ican permanently break the circuit by removing the bar from the button.This would be necessary at any station while transmitting; for were itotherwise, each time the main-line circuit closed the local circuitwould do likewise, and the lever V, responding to the pulsation thusgiven to the magnet 0, would advance the impression-roller to thetype-wheel and imprint the letter. The use of this bar, however, can beavoided by removing the in].-

pression-roller fromthe lever which supports it, as is done whenemploying this lever as a sounder. There would then be no contactbetween this roller and the typewheel at each vibration of the lever inresponse to the closing of the main-line circut, and if this circuit beelsewhere interrupted the lever ceasing to vibrate would so indicate it.

The Morse system forms an indispensable co-operative part in conjunctionwith the use of my instrument as either a dial' or printing telegraph,for it is necessary to employ it for signaling stations, which isrequired to be done in an audible manner, and otherwise indicating whatthe movement of the printing mechanism would fail to do. Its use mayalso be claimed as a valuable auxiliary to my instrument by enabling theintroduction of repeaters. Where a telegraph-circuit exceeds a certainlength, or, by reason of defective insulation or otherwise, the currentof the main line becomes so enfeebled that signals are transmitted todistant stations with difficulty, it frequently becomes necessary todivide or cut up the line into one or more shorter circuits, eachcomplete in itself, but through all of which signals may be transmittedsimul-' taneously throughout their original extent by the aid ofrepeaters, an instrument the operation of which is familiar to thosepractically versed in the art of telegraphing.

The principle of repeaters, it may not be amiss here to say, consists incausing the lever ofa sounder of one circuit to open and close anothercircuit by an action similar to that of a relay-magnet, reproducing ineffect upon a second circuit a repetition of the pulsations ofelectricity transmitted from a'station included in the first circuit,and so on throughout a succession of circuits so connected. Itepeatersare also often used for connecting one or more branch lines with a mainline, for the purpose of transmitting simultaneously the same dispatchover them all.

By making the proper connections of the line-wire with the lever V and ascrew-point, X, against which itstrikes, (see Fig. 1,) all the benefitsto be derived from the use of repeaters may be secured without theaddition or introduction of any additional mechanism for this purpose.

As a printing-instrument would not be complete in all its parts withouta proper arrangement in some shape for a feeder to insure the movementof the strip of paper after the impression of a letter had been madethereon, so as to make place for the next, 1 have devised suitable meansfor this purpose, the originality and utility of which are here claimed.These refer to a reclosing of the local circuit of the magnet 0 after itshall have been previously closed by the contact of the points i and t"of the relay-magnet, (see Fig. 2,) and so continuing it a sufficienttime to allow the frictional contact of the type-wheel andimpression-roller, while thus held and revolved together, to carryforward the paper simultaneously with the impression of the letterthereon. This is done by the movement of the prin tinglever V as itadvances to the poles of the magnet 0, the n'iagnetism of which has justbeen acquired by the contact of the points i and z" of the relay-magnet,and which, by being retained by the movement of the lever V, will now beperpetuated so long as this lever is held to its poles, for the movementof the lever has re closed, and is keeping closed, the local circuit ofthe magnet O, and this magnet, thereby retaining its power, is holdingthe lever to its poles, and preserving the connection it has made byadvancing to them. We have, therefore, the result that the connection soformed preserves the influence in the magnet, and the magnet by itsinfluence preserves the connection unbroken. The magnet cannot lose itspower until the lever is withdrawn, so as to break the localcircuit, andthe lever cannot be withdrawn by the spring for this purpose so long asthe magnet retains its power. The local circuit of the magnet 0 would,by the above arrangement, remain closed perpetually were not meansdevisedto momentarily interdriving or driven motion of the instrument tointerrupt the flow of the current through the coils of the magnet O atthe proper instant to admit the lever V being withdrawn by the spring v,and so cut it off entirely by breaking the circuit. The latter efi'ect,which may be caused by any suitable device for breaking the circuitultimately, may be in the shape of a wheel, revolving on the same shaftwith the type-wheel, or a metal slide having the properbattery-connections attached thereto, so as to break and make thecircuit at each vibration of the propelling-lever of my electro-magneticmotor, when this power is employed to impart motion to the instrument.

It is immaterial in what position and shape this arrangement is made forextending and continuing the connection formed in the first place by thecontact of the points z and 't" in the relay-magnet, so thatthe movementof the printing mechanism, when actuated to imprint a letter, reclosesit, or how broken afterward, so that the driving or driven motion of theinstrument subsequently breaks it.

As the most available position in which to represent my idea, I haveextended the wireconnection which closes the local circuit by thecontact of the points i and t" in the relaymagnet M, Fig. 2, from thesepoints to a place immediately in front of the lever V, and just belowthe type-wheel.

One of the wires thereof I have terminated in a permanently-locatedplatina point, 3, the other in a small movable metal plate, (1. (Bestshown in Fig. 5.) The latter is secured loosely on. a pin, and hasaslotted opening therein, through which the lever Vpasses. When thislever is attracted to the poles of the magnet 0 by the contact of thepoints i and i in the relay-magnet, it carries the metal plate forwardupon the platina point, reuniting the connection represented at i and i,and in the same manner reclosin g the circuit in which the magnet O isincluded. This completes the arrangement for reclosing the local circuitby the movement of the lever V. It now remains to provide the means bywhich this circuit can be broken after the type wheel andimpression-roller have revolved together far enough to propel the paperahead by their friction.

The friction requisite to move the paper may be more surely made byhaving a wheel, 0,

Fig. 1, with a corrugated circumference, se-

cured to and just below the type-wheel. The shape in which I haverepresented the circuitbreaker is by placing immediately below thetype-wheel T and corrugated steel wheel 0 another wheel, L, having onits circumference twenty-eight metal pins, placed equidistant, therebeing this number of letters represented on the type-wheel. (See Fig.1.)

When the impression-roller and type-wheel have revolved together theone-twenty-eighth part of the circumference of this w-heel-the spaceoccupied by one letter-one of these pins will strike and slide under themetal plate d, lifting it above and off of the platina point 3, andbreaking the circuit there closed, the lever V being simultaneouslywithdrawn by the spring Q).

A more comprehensive explanation of this arrangement may be had byreference to the sectional drawing, Fig. 5, which fully elucidates theidea. In this drawing only the parts necessaryin securing these resultsare shown.

L is a broken section of the break-wheel, having the metal pins thereon.V is the top of the lever as it appears through the slot of the metalplate at.

The plate 01 represents one wire of the connection, and the platinapoint 3 the other,

extended thereto from the points i and i in the relay-magnet. p is anunder plate, which supports the plate at and point 3, which are properlyinsulated from each other. The plate d is secured movably on a pin at 4,and is represented as when withdrawn from contact with the platina point3.

WVhen the magnet 0 attracts the lever V to its poles, it carries theslotted side of the plate d, through which it passes, forward also, andupon the platina point 3, reuniting at this place the connection formedat t and i, as above explained. There can also be seen a smallprojection, 2, upon the plate at, which is carried forward also, and toa position between the pins on the wheel L. Therefore when the wheel Lhas revolved the distance between pins thereon, one of them will strikeand lift the point 2, and with it plate d as it passes under. This willbreak the connection of the local circuit there formed, and, the magnet0 losing its power, the lever V will be immediately withdrawn by thespring 1), carrying with it the plate at beyond any contact with theplatina point 3, in which latter position the drawing, Fig. 5, nowrepresents it.

If there should be any objection found to the method as above describedfor moving forward the paper, it may be done by a ratchet motion,communicated by the lever V at each stroke, or by the use of clock-work,moved by a weight or spring, and the motion of the lever V employed toarrest and release an es-.

capement of the same at each stroke.

I further claim the ready adaptability of my instrument, with all theadvantages hereinbefore claimedfor it, to any of the printingtelegraphsheretofore invented, where such instruments can be made to movesynchronously, whether moved by manual or electrical power, and withoutreference to the agencies employed to give it motion, the revolvinganvil being always placed on, and the alphabetical levers of thetransmitting device around, that shaft in such instrument which has thethe type-wheel thereon,- the manner of adjusting the instrument beingthe same as hereinbefore explained.

Having described the nature of my invention, and shown in what mannerits application can be utilized, I will now describe the manner in whichI can communicate a rotary motion to the type-wheel by the employmentfor this purpose of my vibrating electromagnetic motor granted byLetters Patent No. 92,066, dated June 29, 1869.

For this purpose it is necessary to have but a single shaft in theinstrument upon which to place the arm A, which holds the revolvinganvil thereon, type-wheel T, corrugated wheel 0, and break-wheel L. (SeeFig. 1.) They are placed thereon in theorder of allusion, the revolvinganvil being just above and over the alphabetical levers of thetransmitting device, and the others below them. Any of the known methodsmay be applied to this shaft for imparting to it rotary from rectilinearmotion. That which I have represented is by the use of a ratchet-wheel.It, secured on the shaft above spoken of. The employment of this or anysimilar motion best enables the use of the dial system, when so desired,as each vibration of the propelling-lever of the electro-m agnetic motorwill communicate a corresponding motion to an arm having two pawlsthereon, and one of these pawls, striking upon a tooth of theratchet-wheel at each vibration, will urge it and the shaft alsoforward.

The connecting medium between the vibrating lever of theelectro-magnetic motor and the arm of the pawls, which receives itsmotion therefrom, is a rod of an insulating substance, or having aninsulated section therein, which is so made to prevent any liability ofa ground-connection being formed with the main. line through thepropelling-lever of the motor, which is connected with the circuit of alocal battery. The position in which I place this lever is vertical,with an armature properly supported thereon to face the poles of twohorizontally-placed magnets, one on either side of it, which is one formin which I place the magnets and levers of mymotor. These magnets will,as they become alternately charged, in like manner attract the armature,and with it the lever to their poles.

Theprintinginstrumenthavingbeen already adjusted, as hereinbeforedescribed, upon revolving the shaft from right to left, or left toright, as the position and movement of the ratchet-wheel and ,pawls willdetermine, each vibration of the propelling-lever of the motor,communicated to the ratchetwheel, as before described, will carryforward a letter on the type-wheel to a position in front of theimpression-roller, the revolving arm with. anvil thereon above alsoadvancing simultaneously therewith to and over that lever in thetransmitting device lettered correspondingly.

In order to place the motion of my electromagnetic motor under thecontrol of a relay or main-line magnet, that it may be stopped andstarted by the armature-lever of this magnet, similar to the manner ofactuating the vibration of the lever of a sounder, I have introducedsuch a connection, leading from the relay-magnet to the motor, as isnecessary to effect this purpose, and its course and result may be thustraced: One of the wires leading from the electromagnetic motor to abattery is disunited, one of the dissevered ends thereof being connectedwith the armature i, and the other with the screw-point z' in therelaymagnet M. (See Fig.2.) That dissevered end which leads to andconnects with screw-point i" is first connected with a metal bar, D, andfrom thence it is continued to this point by a wire-connectionleadingfrom the button Z, on which this bar rests. This bar and button areintroduced into the route of this connection, to enable the wire unitedby them to be divided by sliding the bar off of the button when it isdesired to permanently interrupt the motion of the motor.

When the bar D is resting on the button I the connection is complete inthis quarter and when the circuit of the main line is opened therelay-magnet M will lose its power over the armature on the lever i, andthis lever will be drawn backby a spring, f, against the screwpoint i,and their contact close and complete the broken circuit of the motor,causing its motion to immediately begin but when the circuit of the mainline is closed the relaymagnet M will regain its power, and at onceattract the armature, and with it the lever i to its poles. This willbreak the contact between this lever and the screw-point i, and, by sodisuniting the wire leading to the battery above alluded to, arrest themotion of the motor. Upon the use of this connection depends thesuccessful working of the dial-system when this power is applied toimpart motion to the instrument. To start the motion of theelectromagnetic motor, then, it will only be necessary to open thecircuit of the main line, and thus form the requisite connection for sodoing by uniting the pomts and 7/, as above explained. This is animportant advantage, as any number of instruments placed at differentdistant stations can thus be simultaneously started and stopped byopening and closing the main-line circuit. If, however, an intermittingmotion is desired, it can be obtained by extending that wirewhich makesa connection with the armature-lever tin the relay-magnet beyond thisposition to a button, I, which is accessible to the switch-bar D. Thebar D is already in connection with one end of the dissevered wire ofthe local battery of the motor which leads to the screwpoint i.

By thus placing the button I in communication with the other endthereof, which connects with the lever 11, and moving this bar to and onthe button 1, the connection of the battery-wire, which is made eachtime the points i and 1' unite, will be permanently established at thisplace, and the motion continue without intermission, regardless of thecontact at 12 and i.

The bar D, when moved onto button 1, makes the motion of the instrumentunintermitting. When moved on the button l" it causes the instrument tostart and stop each time the circuit of the main line is opened andclosed by obeying the vibration of the armature-lever of arelay-magnet;and when in a position of rest between these buttons it keeps thebattery-wire of the motor permanently disunited, and stops its motionentirely.

In the use of the dial system the step-by-step motion, which the use ofa ratchet-wheel gives, has been shown as the most practicable, as thismotion moves forward one letter on the type-wheel and advances therevolving arm, with anvil thereon, to another lever in the transmittingdevice at each movement of the same. 7

There are, however, disadvantages in the use of the ordinarily-arrangedratchet-wheel movement. These disadvantages arise from the arms andpawls which operate on and move the wheel being more or less jointed,and depending upon springs or their own gravity to insure their fallingbetween and catching upon the teeth at the proper instant.

There is also engendered, to some extent, a friction on the surface ofthe teeth of the ratchetwheel requiring additional force to overcome,caused by one pawl having to be dragged over their surface, while theother is acting and drivin g this wheel forward. This is greatest wherethe pawls require the pressure of a spring to insure their clicking inbetween the teeth of the wheel just after being dragged over thosepreceding.

Another and vital danger, inasmuch as it affects the synchronousmovement of the instruments, upon which their success depends, is theliability of the revolving shaft to run ahead of the regular motion ofthe propelling power, on account of the momentum imparted to it by therapid vibration of the latter, which would readily overcome the slightresistance which the spring-pressure or gravity of the pawls would offerto retard this weight in rapid motion after the pawls had completed astroke and made a temporary pause. If there were no pause in thevibration of the propelling power this would not be so liable to occur;but the electromagnetic motor having two vibrating levers, one of whichis always at rest while the other is completing its stroke, thedisadvantage pointed out becomes apparent.

I claim to have invented an improved manner of constructing the arm andpawls which impel a ratchet-wheel forward. by the use of which allditficulties in this respect are obviated. gravity to insure the properaction of the pawls which impel a ratchet-wheel forward, and the arm andpawls are made of a solid piece of metal without a joint or breaktherein.

Only one pawl can be in contact with or touching the wheel at one time,the other always receding correspondingly from the wheel.

When the stroke is completed the pawl which has driven the wheel forwardremains closely fitted between the teeth thereof, where it is heldfirmly by the propelling-lever until the other lever has made itsstroke, thereby preventing any possibility of the ratchet-wheel glidingahead, however rapid the motion the lever is making at each vibration.

Fig. 4 is a correct illustration of the mode of constructing the arm andpawls to insure these advantages. shown, from a solid piece of metal,which is the prominent novel feature in their construction; and, as theyare inflexible, when one of the pawls is approaching a tooth of theratchetlwheel, the other is receding correspondingly. They are soadjusted that when one pawl reaches the tooth to which it is moving, theother has receded just beyond the tip of that tooth upon which it hasjust been resting, releasing it, and leaving the wheel free to moveforward under the pressure of that pawl which is driving it.

In the drawing, Fig. 4, I have represented by dotted outline theposition occupied by the longer pawl before the movement began in theopposite direction. It will be seen that it had pressed the wheelforward until it had moved into and compactly filled the space betweenteeth, and in this position it held the wheel firmly and securely untilthe other lever had completed its stroke and the motion of the arm ofthe pawls commenced in the contrary direction. The position occupied bythis longer pawl, as shown by dotted outline in Fig. 4, is also clearlyshown in full outline in the plan, Fig. 2. The pawls are so shaped as tofitand fill completely the space between teeth, as there shown, therebypreventing the wheel moving in either direction when the pawls are inthe position there represented.

The position in which I have indicated the pawls to be in Fig. is whenthe stroke is 7 about half completed. The short pawl is shown to havejust reached that tooth to which it is being moved, while the longerpawl is seen to have receded sufficiently far to be clear of any contactwhatever with and above the tips of the teeth of the wheel, leaving themfree to move forward under it. This clearly illustrates the idea,showing the infal- It depends on neither springs nor They are shaped, asthere.

libility and accuracy of the movement, the impossibility of any motionwhatever of the ratchet-wheel after the movement of the pawls hasceased, caused bythe momentum imparted by the rapidity and force of eachvibration of the propellinglev'er, and also that but one pawl is ever incontact with or against the ratchet-wheel at one and the same time. Itis just the reverse of the action of the pallets which control anescapement, which merely arrest and release the teeth of a wheel drivenby an independent power. This arrangement engages the teeth of the wheeland propels it also.

The manner as above described of eith r pawl fitting in between theteeth of and holding the ratchet-wheel immovable at the completion ofeach stroke thereon, insures the practicability of the dial system; forif it is desired to suddenly arrest the motion of the instrument topoint out and indicate a letter, that pawl which has just completed itsstroke may,-by the closing of the main-line circuit and breaking of thecontact between the points i and t'" in the relay-magnet, ashereinbefore shown, be held firmly against the wheel, and so stop therevolution of the shaft.

As it requires a very exact adjustment of the pawls to insure a reliablemovement of the ratchet-wheel, I fit the arm thereof movably on a pin,t, on a small metal plate, 70. (See Fig. 4.) Into this plate I cut anoblong slot, through which to pass a screw, 0, to fasten it permanentlyto a fixed base, S, beneath, after it shall have been properly adjusted.The use of this plate 76 admits the shifting of the pawls securedthereon into various positions, by means of its slotted opening andtheuse of the screw 0 therein, until a correct adjustment shall have beenacquired, after obtainingwhich the plate can be penmanently secured byclosing down the head of the screw over the slot.

The synchronous movement of two or more of these instruments by theattachment of my electromagnetic motor can be obtained with the mostperfect accuracy, andin the following manner:

Let it be supposed that the dial system is bein g used, and it isdesired to make the instrument at the receiving-station movesynchronously with that at the transmitting-station. The operator at thelatter station will depress one of the alphabetical levers of thetransmitting device, which shall have been previously understood byboth. The operator at the former station will then continue the adjustment of his governor until his instrument will indicate the same letteralso at each revolution. Thus, if it were previously understood that Ashould always be the letter to adjust to, each time the anvil on therevolving arm came in contact with the lever correspondingly marked atthe transmitting-station, the instrument at the receiving-station wouldalso indicate a letter, but a different one. The space it would fallshort of reaching the lever lettered A, however, could be noted, and thegovernor manipulated so as to perceive with what rapidity it neared itsproximity thereto at each revolution, until finally it could be made tostop immediately over it. The distant station can then be signaled tothis effect by simply opening the main-line circuit, which will destroythe power of the relay-magnet to stop and start the motion of the motor,since it will then be broken in two places, and consequently cannot beclosed by the contact of the anvil with a lever at the transmittingstation, as before this latter opening had occurred. The failure thereuponto close the main-line circnit would also be the cause of therelaymagnet M failin to attract the armature-lever i, and so draw itfrom its contact with the point t. This contact being preserved, asabove explained, the motion of the motor will continue withoutintermission, and not stop to point out a letter, which, being observedat the transmitting station, will demonstrate that the proper adjustmenthas been obtained.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of the seriesof levers A B G D, &c., arranged in a circle and properly supported in aframe, with the arm a anvil m, and rotating shaft F, in the manner andfor the purpose set forth.

2. Extending the wires connecting with the points i and t" in therelay-magnet M to plate d and platina point 3, for the purpose ofkeeping the circuit through the magnet 0' closed after the contact ofthe points I: and 2", substantially as described.

3. The break-wheelL, so arranged as to break the circuit through themagnet 0. after the contact of the type-wheel and impressionroller hasbeen maintained long enough to move the strip of paper for a distancesuflicient to form a space between the letters, in

the manner substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the printing-tele graph instrument with theelectromagnetic motor, in the manner and for the purpose describe i 5.The combination of the slotted plate 70, or its equivalent, with the armand pawls operating the ratchet-wheel, as described.

L. T. LINDSEY.

Witnesses:

GEO. ROBERTSON, D. M. STEPHENS.

